Sleeptalking
by soyabeanoh
Summary: Zuko chances upon Toph in her semi-conscious state one night at Ember Island. Pre-Sozin's comet. No shipping. One shot.


Sleeptalking

This is set during the time Zuko was still with the gang, at Ember Island before Sozin's comet. One shot.

_Zuko_

I lay on my back in the courtyards of my old summer home, watching the clouds and the stars. The Avatar and his odd bunch of companions were sleeping soundly. Sokka the oaf snored louder than the six-legged bison.

I have always been a light sleeper. I just never managed to sink into the depths of unconsciousness. In the palace during my boyhood, as I slept, whistling winds, light footsteps, the creaking of the ancient royal palace columns and floorboards often disturbed my slumber. I have lain awake during thunderstorms and gales. When I was younger my mother sang to me a lullaby to lull me to sleep, that always worked.

Tonight was another one of those insomniac nights that my body refused to rest. I sighed and propped myself up. It's no use trying to sleep tonight. I might as well walk about this place. Waves of nostalgia hit me as I walked into the rooms, or through the walkways. It was the same furniture, walls, colours, carved wood panels, statues and even the garden. Although the garden now is unkempt and invaded by massive amount of weeds, it still had the skeleton of the old grand garden.

Wait something is not the same. I looked at the turned earth and realised, Toph has been here. Following the trail of ruin I arrived at her earth tent, just slabs of rock sheltering her. I approached her tent gingerly, aware that she could earthbend a rock my direction to deter me from disturbing her privacy. Step by step I approached her tent, still no flying rock. Honestly what was I thinking, Toph is a formidable Earthbender. You do not approach Earthbenders while they are sleeping.

I crept into her tent though a gap between the earth slabs.

"Hello Zuko"

That startled me.

She's lying with her arms folded behind her head; her eyes are open and looking straight forward, as most normal blind people do. But she did not have her usual aggressiveness and her armored demeanor; she looked soft, like she was dreaming.

"I feel and hear every movement in around the area, even your gentle footsteps. Except Aang's, he sometimes walks on air I can't feel or hear him, or 'see' him, whatever this alternative sense that replaces my sense of sight may be,"

She was awake, but not really awake, like she was talking to me in a dream. Or a dream of a dream.

"What is it like?" I asked

"What's what like?"

"Feeling people's footsteps, or everything moving on the ground,"

She grinned widely and said "Like a drum, a large drum, do you like drums, Zuko? The earth sounds like one big drum if I listen carefully, there is a rhythm to the earth, like it is alive, like the earth has a heart."

I think of the times I laid on my ear on the floor cool stone floor of my home, my old home. You could hear the thud of people's footsteps, although I never heard a rhythm or a beat.

"I miss my parents, have you heard of the Bei Fongs? You probably have, they are funding the Earth Kingdom Military. I ran away from home to join Aang and fight the war and put my earthbending to good use. Instead of just being champion of the local Earth Rumble."

"You were in Earth Rumble?"

"Yeah, all the way to Earth Rumble Six, why?"

"That's the Earth Kingdom version of Agni Kai? Fire Duel? And you were champion?"

"Yeah, comes with a trophy belt,"

I have to admit I was impressed, I get a scar on my face from a fire duel and she gets a trophy belt.

"Anyway, I don't know how I am gonna go home after the war, or whether I am going home at all. I miss home and my mom and my dad. They weren't the most understanding parents but at least they cared for me, and gave me a home. I miss the food. I miss everything, but how do you face your parents after you ran away from home to travel all over the world? That's probably the worst thing a kid can do to her parents, I must have hurt them so much," Her voice trailed off at the end.

"I came home after being banished from my country for 2 years, and then ran away again, I betrayed Uncle Iroh and had the nerve to approach him in prison" I said matter-of-factly.

"You're different; your family is the Fire Nation's Royal Family that waged war against the world for a century. It's complicated,"

I put on my best sarcastic tone, "Thanks"

"My pleasure," And she yawned.

"You best be getting to sleep. Goodnight"

She curled in a ball, and closed her eyes.

The next morning she did not seem to recall our conversation, and showed no sign or recognition of having revealed anything personal to me.


End file.
